Shortage of meds that are best for little kids with mycoplasma pneumonia

Doctors are warning of a shortage of medications to treat some of the illnesses surging in Queensland as winter closes in amid urgent calls for the government to act.

Queensland is running perilously low on medications needed to treat a surge in illnesses around the state, doctors have warned.

Australian Medical Association Queensland president Maria Boulton said this included a shortage of an antibiotic suitable for small children to treat mycoplasma pneumonia.

“It’s a liquid medicine that has to be taken only once a day and suits young patients better than other antibiotics that need more than one daily dose but parents are having trouble getting the hold of it,” Dr Boulton said.

“Some parents are also concerned about having to wait for the RSV vaccine.”

Queensland Health reports that this year, up until May 5, 6587 PCR tests for mycoplasma pneumonias were carried out, with one-quarter proving positive. RSV cases hit 28,909 for the same period.

“The government needs ensure there are enough medications to cope with surges,” Dr Boulton said.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Nicole Higgins told The Courier-Mail GPs were finding medicine shortages a huge problem.

“More must be done to ensure that all patients can access the medicines they need without difficulty or delay,” she said.

A submission from the RACGP to the Therapeutic Goods Administration calls for mandates to ensure a minimum supply of medication is always available in Australia to more effectively meet demand.

AMAQ president Dr Maria Boulton

Dr Boulton said shortages of hormone replacement medications were causing Queensland women great distress as they grappled with debilitating menopausal symptoms.

“This is so unfair on the patients; sometimes they go for substitutes which can cause further problems,” she said.

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians is calling for urgent action as lives are being put at risk with specialists reporting shortages of key medicines for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, children and adults with obesity, diabetes or endocrine issues, palliative care patients, patients with cardiac conditions, sexually transmitted and other infections and patients with substance use disorders.

RACP president Professor Jennifer Martin said Australia needed an effective strategy for managing medicine shortages, and it is patients who were paying the price.​

“Medicine shortages are becoming more of a problem in Australia, and we need to see a comprehensive strategy from government about how to prevent shortages and how to manage them better when they do occur. Australia is particularly vulnerable because we import around 90 per cent of our medicines,” Prof Martin said

The college proposes that international suppliers of medicines critical to the health of Australians be encouraged to enter and remain within the Australian market through TGA-driven incentives.